Wednesday 5 January 2011

Bugs and their nymphs

This shield bug has been called Pycanum rubens (family: Tessaratomidae) by almost everyone in the Internet. But, I have yet to find a scientific reference linking the picture of this bug to this name. It seems to have only one host plant (Simpoh Air). This peaceful and calm bug with its colourful nymph is a great model for many macro photographers.


Here is one of the colourful nymph.


This brown leaf-footed bug is quite a common sight. Some have called it squash bug because it looks like the bug that attack the squash plants, generally belong to the gourd family (Cucurbitaceae). However, this bug seems to attack a number of plants here, not only those from the gourd family. I have narrowed it down to a Acanthocephala species (family: Coreidae). [Edited: Mictis longicornis as per comment below.]


Here is the early instar nymph.


This orange-brown leaf-footed bug is not as common as the brown one above. I have yet to figure out its name though I am quite sure it belongs to the family Coreidae. It seems to have only one host plant (Beach Morning Glory). [Update: Likely to be Physomerus grossipes (Sweet Potato Bug)]


Here is the nymph.


The third leaf-footed bug on this list has the flap on the tibia part of the hind legs. It may be called a squash bug since it is sitting on a tiny melon of a creeper (Rough Bryony) that belong to the gourd family. It may be Leptoglossus gonagra (family: Coreidae).


These spiny bugs should be its nymphs though I cannot be 100% sure because I have seen them in a separate location without an adult bug on sight. The nymphs are on another creeper (Gymnopetalum scabrum) of the gourd family.


I have previously thought that the bugs below is another type of leaf-footed bug but the required feature is not seen on the legs. It is likely to be a Cletus species (family: Coreidae).


This should be its nymph, a rather well camouflage little creature among the flowers.


These are the 5 pairs of bug-and-nymph collection that I have at the moment.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

thanks Kwan...looking for name of a bug on my raspberries...thought it was a nymph of a flat footed plant bug. Your blog on nymphs helpful in corroborating my guess.

Anonymous said...

The Coreid bug identified as Acanthocephala is actually Mictis longicornis.
Acanthocephala is a genus found only in America.